The present invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing powder or other particulate matter in an air or gaseous stream. More particularly, the invention relates to a garden power duster for applying dusting agent to garden plants.
Various types of apparatus for applying powder or other particulate matter to plants or other objects are known in the prior art as illustrated by the following patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,377 to Bouchard relates to an apparatus for dispensing particulate matter which comprises an amorphous bag or pouch containing powder, a gas inlet at one end of the pouch adapted to receive a pressurized gaseous stream from an air blower and a gas outlet at the opposite end of the pouch which directs the gas stream out of the pouch, preferably to an elongated delivery tube. By squeezing and manipulating the pouch and powder therein, the amount of powder entrained in the gas stream within the pouch can be controlled.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,256,241 to Mesic relates to a fluid-solid mixing and dispensing apparatus primarily intended for use in the application of pesticide dust. The apparatus comprises a blower and a removable, disposable pesticide dust cartridge attachable in fluid communication relation to at least a portion of the blower's fluid flow stream. A volume control is provided so as to regulate the quantity of fluid flowing through the cartridge, thereby regulating the quantity of pesticide dust actually dispensed.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,870,565 to Martin relates to a dust-disseminating device which is attached to a hopper having an open top and containing a quantity of dusting material. The dust-disseminating device includes a cover arranged to bridge the open top of the hopper and adapted to be detachably secured thereto to provide an enclosed chamber wherein the dusting material may be gradually fed into and entrained by an air stream by an activating means for dissemination. Advantageously a blower may be associated with the hopper to introduce the air stream through the cover into the chamber provided by the hopper. The air stream produced by the blower is projected downwardly and forwardly in the chamber by a baffle which is constructed to direct the air stream to make multiple passes through the chamber whereby the dusting material is effectively entrained in the air stream. The chamber and baffle are shaped and dimensioned to cause the air stream with entrained dusting particles to change direction sharply during passage through the chamber whereby larger dust particles tend to automatically segregate from the more finely divided and entrained particles.
However, to applicant's knowledge only manually or hand-operated dusting devices are presently commercially available to gardeners but no economic portable power dusters. It is presumed that the failure of prior power devices such as those described above to enter the commercial arena relates to their complexity, lack of portability, high cost or tendency to clogging or other types of failures.
Accordingly, a garden power duster which is relatively simple mechanically, highly reliable in operation, low in cost and portable enough for the gardener to easily carry is highly desired by gardeners.